You’d have to have been hiding under a rock not to know that the United States is about to choose its next President.

The Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton battle is everywhere, grabbing headlines and capturing the world’s attention.
But how does the US Presidential election actually work?
Here are the answers to some of the things you might have been wondering…

How often does the US elect a new President?
Every four years on Election Day, which is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The 2016 election is set for November 8.

But how does the vote actually work?
Voting’s actually already started, in what’s called ‘Early Voting’, when people can cast their vote ahead of the scheduled election day. During the election, Americans cast their vote for President. But that vote, known as the popular vote, doesn’t actually determine who wins.

Voting has already started in the US presidential elections



If the voters don’t choose who wins, who does?
US presidential elections use the Electoral College. All 50 US states and Washington DC have a set number of “electors” in the Electoral College and that number is roughly proportionate to the size of each state. There are 538 electors – to win a majority and become president either candidate needs to get 270 electors, which is half the total plus one.

Who are these electors?
Electors are usually state officials or senior party figures, but aren’t usually named on the ballot. Some electors are pledged to one candidate, and some to another. In some states electors are required to vote for the candidate they’re pledged to, while in others they have a free vote yet still tend to vote for their pledged candidate. Very rarely, ‘faithless’ electors will vote against their state’s instruction.
So how many electors does each state get?
Not all states are equal – the number of electors is based on a state’s population so those with more people get more votes. For example, California – the largest state – gets 55 electors, while those with fewer populations like Wyoming get just three.
The number of electors each state gets is also equal to the number of seats a state has in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The candidates' campaigns will focus on 'swing states' - the ones that could go either way
The candidates’ campaigns will focus on ‘swing states’ – the ones that could go either way

What happens in each state then?
When Americans cast their votes, they’re technically voting for electors – not the candidates themselves. In nearly all states, except Maine and Nebraska, there is a ‘winner-takes-all’ system. That means the person who wins the most electors gets all of that state’s electoral votes. For example, the person who wins the most electors in California will get all of its 55 electoral votes.



Get Answers to more questions like...
How often does the US elect a new President?
If the voters doesn't choose who wins, who does?
Who are the electors?
What are ‘swing states’?
So can you win the popular vote but still lose the election?
This seems a bit unfair, why don’t they change the system?

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When I see some IPOB members claiming all sorts of things that Trump would win because of Hatred for buhari, I just smile.

Statistically, Trump has no possible way of winning the election!

He has to CLEAN SWEEP virtually all swing states to have a chance, while Hillary needs just 1 to do the magic.

FLORIDA is waiting perfectly, Ohio, etc.